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CHRIS SHERMANThe Italian restaurant chain that keeps on growing is now part of St. Petersburg's Fourth Street smorgasbord. It's doing lots right, but it can stretch farther.
Set aside the economic, political, social and, dare I say, moral aspects of the continuing expansion of Carrabba's Italian Grill. That's hard to do in downtown St. Petersburg, where the chain's newest location is at the heart of a new eat 'n' play center of chain restaurants and the refurbished Sunken Gardens.
But forget the chain part and remember that Carrabba's is a restaurant - and that's something every independent who wants to survive should remember.
The parking lots and tables wouldn't be full so often if Carrabba's weren't doing more than a few things right, starting with crackling salt and pepper calamari and great bowls of mussels.
On my first visit after Outback acquired the Texas chain eight years ago, I wasn't sure it would be a big seller. But I liked the old world decor and modern vitality of that Tampa location enough that it became part of family tradition: It's one place open on Christmas Eve that's always warm and lively. Plus, there was an open kitchen that tackled some bold options, such as quail and polenta, even a veal chop.
Photos on the wall point out that Carrabba's heritage goes back to a Texas macaroni factory (We had one too, run by the Fraterrigo's in West Tampa). Carrabba's and its rivals are better known for reinventing Italian dining and standardizing it across the country, some of it for the good.
In the beginning was Olive Garden, and it was here that many Americans met white sauces, fresh pasta and decor beyond plastic grapes and red-checked tablecloths. Carrabba's added the open kitchen, wood-fired oven and a meaty taste fresh off the grill. Romano's Macaroni Grill tossed in a generous hand with flowers by the bushel and wine by the jug.
Then came the counter revolution: the old red sauces were back, while the decor was cranked up to Hollywood style. Maggiano's made it an epic movie set, and Buca di Beppo turned it into a Fox sitcom.
Any way you brand it, it was smart to combine the near-universal love of Italian food, corporate efficiency and slick decor. You had food that's inexpensive and quick to prepare and casual to eat but felt more gracious and unrushed, like a real family supper. We liked it, especially Carrabba's with the gilt-edged lettering on the door, the bustling staff in ties and long bistro aprons, and hustling kitchen crew.
Where does it stand now? Strong points start with bread, crusty and one of the first with an olive oil dipping sauce, but infinitely better with mussels. My appetizer bowl was filled with plump, tender mussels, but the broth of seafood stock and butter would be a lush meal itself.
In main courses, the pasta is not overcooked and red sauces taste fresh. The linguini pescatore with shrimp and big scallops and mussels remains a favorite, pretty zesty stuff. The best other pasta and sauce I tried recently was house-made tagliarini with crushed tomatoes, herbs (and undercooked garlic).
My steak, a filet Florentine, stretched the truth a bit; the Tuscans prefer sturdier T-bones and they crust them with herbs. But the steak itself was more on target than in most steakhouses: I asked for it prepared rare, but with a char on the outside, and that's what I got.
Yet all that doesn't make Carrabba's invincible. There's ample room to improve and for competitors large and small to attack.
For one thing, not all the current menu works. The custom-made sausage is shamefully bland despite a bit of fennel. Salads and desserts are only a step above cafeteria fare.
What's not on the menu is the real gap. The quail and polenta disappeared long ago, and a wealth of Italian cooking isn't even being touched.
I'm not talking rabbit ragu or duck breast: But how about gnocchi and risotto, roast chicken, lamb, lobster and clams? Or hearty pastas such as pappardelle, bucatini or orechietti, not to mention pasta ripieni, the glorious world of filled pasta, from ravioli to tortelloni? Mezzaluna are clever, but there are far more shapes and fillings to be made. How about more panini and foccaccia on a lunch menu?
Romano's and Olive Garden are tweaking their menus. Carrabba's ought to as well. And independents can still run circles around them.
Decor, always a Carrabba's long suit, is flagging too, at least at this St. Petersburg branch. While the exterior renovation salvaged a beloved location and adds stucco grandeur to Fourth Street, the interior consists of dull, wide open spaces like a cafeteria, and the fake stone drawings on the table are cheesy.
The biggest gaffe occurs at the entry, a near-lethal choke point little more than three feet wide for diners going to their tables, leaving and signing in, plus three hosts and any other staff member who wants to hang out. Get a traffic planner from Disney here. Right now.
Still, Carrabba's draws lines on weekends and a full house on school nights, while independent Italian restaurants struggle to keep their waiters busy.
They all need to do a better job. The chains are smartly packaged for modern consumers, but packaging isn't everything. Eventually people care about what's inside. That's what we eat.
Carrabba's Italian Grill
1951 Fourth St. N
St. Petersburg
(727) 897-9375
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. daily
Details: Full bar, take-out, no-smoking
Other locations: Brandon, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Temple Terrace, Sarasota and more than 100 locations nationwide.